Sunday, December 30, 2012

As we all prepare for 2013, I thought it would make sense to take a look back and decide what the best new Rolex model was for 2012, and my favorite is the all-new Platinum & Stainless Steel Yachtmaster with Blue Dial. Why? Rolex very, very rarely introduces all-new models, but when they originally introduced the Yacht-Master in 1992 it was a Reference 16628 in 18kt gold, with a white dial and 3135 movement, which was the same movement used in the Rolex Submariner.

All New Blue Dial Yacht-Master Photo By Jurgen

At BaselWorld in 1999 Rolex suprised everyone when the introduced the stainless steel and platinum version. Rolex refers to the combination of Stainless Steel and Platinum as Rolesium. This all-new model was the first to bring back the timeless Maxi Markers and fat hands. Since then Rolex has slowly returned all sports models to incorporate Maxi Markers and fat hands-Thank God!!!

Monday, December 24, 2012

Jack Klugman passed away today, and now belongs to the ages. Jack was born Jacob Joachim "Jack" Klugman on April 27, 1922 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.A., and passed away on Christmas Eve 2012. He was one of the most beloved and great American character actors in film, stage and television, with amazing career achievements, and as we see below, his trademark Rolex GMT Master is as classic as he is.

Jack Klugman began his acting career during World War II in the United States Army and was roommates with in New York City with Charles Bronson prior to either actor becoming famous.

Jack Klugman began his film career in 1957 in 12 Angry Men and in 1962 he starred in Days Of Wine And Roses. Jack is perhaps best know for his TV career. He and Burgess Meredith are tied for the most appearances on the Twilight Zone with 4 appearances each. The Twilight zone was a Science Fiction Mystery-thriller that is still considered to this day to be a work of art.

"There is a fifth dimension, beyond that which is known to man. It is a dimension as vast as and as timeless as infinity. It is the middle ground between light and shadow, between science and superstition and it lies between the pit of man's fears and the summit of his knowledge. This is the dimension of imagination. It is an area which we call the Twilight Zone." –Rod Serling.

Jack Klugman was an early TV pioneer and began his TV career in 1950 on The Actor's Studio.

In 1961, Jack Klugman stared in an episode of the Twilight Zone titled "A Game Of Pool" and Jonathan Winters co-stared with him.

In the Game Of Pool episode of Twilight Zone, Jack Klugman plays Jesse Cardiff, a pool shark in Chicago. Johnathan Winters plays Fats Brown as seen above and below. In the Opening narration it to this episode it says "Jesse Cardiff, pool shark on Randolf Street, will soon learn that trying to be the best at anything carries its own special risks, in or out of the Twilight Zone.

The closing Narration says "Mr. Jesse Cardiff, who became a legend by beating one, but who has found out after his funeral that being the best of anything carries with it a special obligation to keep proving it. Mr. Fats Brown, on the other hand having relinquished the champion's mantle, has gone fishing. These are the ground rules, in the Twilight Zone."

In Praise Of Pip

Twilight Zone Episode

[Original Air Date, September 27, 1963]

In Praise Of Pip is considered to be one of the best episodes of the Twilight Zone and you can watch the episode below. It is interesting to note that JFK was the President of The United States when this originally aired, and less than 2 months later, JFK belonged to the ages.

The Odd Couple

[Originally Aired from September 24, 1970 to July 4, 1975]

Jack Klugman is perhaps best known for his Role as Oscar Madison in the classic TV series The Odd Couple which was written by Neil Simon and based upon the play by the same title. When I was a kid growing up, I remember this show was really popular and I have fond memories of watching it with family members.

The Odd Couple was about the super-neat, Felix Unger character played by Tony Randall and his super sloppy roommate Oscar Madison played flawlessly by Jack Klugman.

Watching the opening scene above and listening to the soundtrack is the ultimate Deja Vu mindblower if you are familiar with the show. Here is a sample episode of The Odd Couple:

On the show, Felix and Oscar are both divorced bachelors living with each other. The TV show was actually based on the 1968 film version of the stage play of The Odd Couple that starred Walter Matthau as Oscar Madison and Jack Lemmon as Felix Unger.

The Odd Couple was a great TV show that originally bounced back and forth over its 6 year run between Thursday and Friday evenings. Both Jack Klugman and Tony Randall were nominated for Emmy Awards each year the show aired. Jack Klugman won two Emmy Awards for his role on the Odd Couple in 1971 and 1973. He also won two Golden Globe awards–one in 1972 and again in 1974.

The Odd Couple was an amazing show because of the superb chemistry between Jack Klugman and Tony Randall. Of course the supreme irony is that Jack Klugman's character, Oscar Madison was a complete slog and Tony Randall's character of Felix Unger was a neat freak, but in reality they were the opposite.

Quincy, M.E.

The First CSI Show...

[Originally Aired from October 3, 1976 to September 4, 1983]

After Jack Klugman's success with the Odd Couple, he went on to play Dr. R. Quincy who is a very principled Medical Examiner (forensic coroner) in Los Angeles County who specializes in trying to solve mysterious and suspicious deaths.

Quincy, M.E. was another huge success and it ran for a total of 8 seasons. It also stared Robert Ito who was Quincy's right hand man in solving mysteries deaths.

Here is the opening theme to Quincy, M.E. Once again, if you are familiar with the music it is a Deja Vu trip!!!

Canon Copier Spokesman

After Jack Klugman completed the Quincy, M.E., show he had become one of America's most trusted figures, perhaps similarly to Walter Cronkite. Canon hired Jack to become the trusted face of their Canon Personal Copier line and in many of the Canon ads, Jack Klugman wore his trademark Rolex GMT.

The image above of Jack Klugman wearing his trusted trademark Rolex GMT Master would be used over and over again in Canon TV commercials to show how their copiers could print and scale photos. The screen shot below is from a 1980s Canon TV commercial.

Over the years that followed The Odd Couple, Jack Klugman and Tony Randall remained close pals, until Tony Randall unfortunately passed away.

Jack Klugman was also good pals with Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin and is pictured below with them.

Jack Klugman was a heavy smoker and in 1974 he was diagnosed with throat cancer and in 1989 he lost a vocal cord to cancer. Fortunately he survived the cancer and continued to act on TV and on stage. Since he lost a vocal cord, today he speaks with a scratchy voice.

Jack Klugman is pictured below in a recent photo taken when he was 87 years young. Jack Klugman's acting career has spanned 6 decades and in my personal opinion, he is one of the best actors in modern history and a man of amazing achievment, and all I can say is Bravo!!!!!! Bravo!!!!!! Bravo!!!!

I am really excited because we just launched an amazing new product I have been working on designing for a few years, and it is named The BulletTrain SAFE Wallet for iPhone. The BulletTrain SAFE Wallet is pictured below, and it is a complete wallet replacement that offers amazing space savings while allowing you to finally get rid of your old-fashioned wallet.

As you can see in the photo below, the SAFE Wallet allows you to carry everything you need, in a beautifully streamlined, trim wallet that is really easy to use. In the photo below you see the contents of my SAFE Wallet which include house keys, a credit card, drivers license, VISA debit card, and a hundred dollar bill. This allows me to leave my home everyday, without having to carry a separate wallet, iPhone and keys.

In the next photo (below) you can see the SAFE Wallet for iPhone 5 next to a classic leather wallet with an iPhone 5 and house keys. The Ruby Red SAFE Wallet is carrying everything pictured next to it, in a space which is smaller than the leather wallet, when it is empty!!!

I believe the BulletTrain SAFE Wallet really reinvents the wallet for the 21st century. In the next photo below, we see the SAFE Wallet in BulletTrain Blue, and it is holding two credit cards, a drivers license, a hundred dollar bill and 6 business cards!!! That's a total of 10 cards, which all fit comfortably in the SAFE Wallet case!

The SAFE Wallet also has a built-in MagicStand™ which allows you to instantly place the SAFE Wallet in portrait or landscape on any flat surface, as you can see in the photo below.

As the designer of the BulletTrain SAFE Wallet, I have been testing prototypes for the last 6 months and I can't believe how useful and powerful the BulletTrain SAFE Wallet is!!!

Wednesday, December 5, 2012

Rolex just announced today, in Geneva, Switzerland, their global partnership with Formula 1 racing, which will make Rolex a major long-term partner of Formula from 2013 as the Official Timekeeper and Official Timepiece. Rolex said:

"Rolex sponsorship of Formula 1 racing reinforces Rolex’s commitment to motor racing and its support of global sport at the very highest level."

In the photo above, we see racing legend, and Rolex ambassador, Sir Jackie Steward, Rolex CEO, Gian Riccardo Marini, Bernie Ecclestone, the CEO of The Formula One Group, and Olympic Skiing legend, and Rolex Board Of Directors member, Jean-Claude Killy.

In this next photo we see Rolex CEO, Gian Riccardo Marini with Formula 1 CEO, Bernie Ecclestone. Bernie Ecclestone said:

“Without question Rolex is the partner of choice for a world class sporting series like Formula One. The brand’s prestige, the excellence of its watches as well as Rolex’s passionate and long­standing commitment to motor sports gives it true credibility. This partnership is something that many people interested in Formula One will have been waiting for and should rightly be excited about. Rolex has incredible sporting heritage and therefore Formula One is the right place for Rolex to be.”

Rolex CEO, Gian Riccardo Marini said:

“This is an exciting step for us at Rolex as the fit between Formula One and our brand feels very natural and, like all great partnerships, needs little explanation. In our respective fields, Rolex and Formula One embody the spirit of adventure, superla­tive engineering and a strong desire to push the limits of technology. These aspirations are enormously appealing to younger generations.”

“Rolex watches are symbolic of the quest for the highest level of performance and reliability that is epitomized by Formula One. Over the last 50 years both Rolex and Formula 1 have grown into world­leading aspirational brands and there will be many fantastic opportunities that we can enjoy together.”

In its capacity as Formula 1 Official Timekeeper and Official Timepiece, Rolex will give the time in different locations during each grand Prix. The Rolex logo will also be positioned around the circuit and at several corners during Formula 1 races. Rolex’s presence in Formula 1 is due to develop over the coming seasons.

Time-Honoured Passion For Motor Sports

For Rolex, the partnership with Formula 1 is part of a long history of close ties with motor racing and speed. The brand has been associated since the 1930s with a number of major personalities in the field, including sir Malcolm Campbell, who broke the 300 mile per hour (483 km/h) barrier in 1935 at the wheel of his World land speed Record car BlueBird. Sir Malcolm was wearing a Rolex Oyster.

In the late 1950s, the swiss watchmaker became a partner of the Daytona International speedway in Florida. In 1963, the circuit gave its name to the legendary chronograph Rolex created for racing drivers, the Cosmograph Daytona.

Since the late 1960s, Rolex has counted motor racing legend Sir Jackie stewart, one of the most celebrated Formula 1 drivers of the last 40 years, among its family of promi­nent Testimonees. sir Jackie won three Formula One World Championships (1969, 1971 and 1973) and 27 grand Prix races. He is also widely recognized for his commit­ment to F1 driver safety during the 1970s.

Unerring Commitment To Performance

“I am delighted that Rolex, a very unique brand that chooses its relationships very care­ fully, and Formula One have entered into a partnership,” said Sir Jackie Stewart. “The Rolex Daytona timepiece and its constant technological development over 50 years are fine indicators of Rolex’s unerring commitment to performance and the brand’s timeless values. Having worked with Rolex for more than 40 years and given my ongoing involvement in Formula One, I think this is a superb partnership and one that will be hugely successful,” added sir Jackie.

Partnerships With Strong Symbolic Value

Mr Marini said: “In some respects, through its strong symbolic value and its global reach, our partnership with Formula One mirrors our recent support for initiatives such as James Cameron’s Deepsea Challenge expedition to the deepest reaches of the ocean in March 2012. A feat that is both human and technological, and has worldwide resonance”.

In keeping with this spirit of pushing the boundary of technological endeavour, Rolex joined the bloodhound SSC World land speed Record project in 2011 as the Official Timing Partner. The bloodhound team is aiming to set a new record of 1,000 miles per hour (1,600 km/h) with a cutting­edge supersonic jet­ and rocket­powered car, inspiring the next generation of scientists and engineers.

In the same vein, Rolex announced in spring 2012 its support for Neuropolis, a world­ class neuroscience hub based in Switzerland which aims to improve understanding of the human brain using computational biology. This innovative approach, on the frontier of scientific research, builds on the power of supercomputers to simulate biological processes.

Rolex is a major partner of many of the most prestigious and iconic events, organizations and personalities in selected sports, especially golf (e.g. The Open Championship), tennis (e.g. Wimbledon) and yachting (e.g. Rolex sydney hobart).

about Rolex leading brand of the swiss watch industry, Rolex, headquartered in Geneva, enjoys an unrivaled reputation for quality and expertise the world over.

Its Oyster watches, all certified as chronometers for their precision, are symbols of excellence, performance and prestige. Pioneer in the development of the wristwatch as early as 1905, the brand is at the origin of numerous major watchmaking innovations, such as the Oyster, the first wa­terproof wristwatch, launched in 1926, and the Perpetual rotor self­winding mechanism introduced in 1931.

Rolex has registered over 400 patents in the course of its history. A truly integrated manufacturing company, Rolex designs, develops and produces in­-house, all the essential components of its watches, from the casting of the gold alloys to the machining, crafting, assembly and finishing of the movement, case, dial and bracelet. Rolex is also actively involved in supporting the arts, sports, science, the spirit of enterprise, and the environment through a broad palette of sponsoring activities as well as philanthropic programs.

About Formula 1

Formula 1, which began in 1950, is the world’s most prestigious motor racing com­ petition and the world’s most popular annual sporting series. In 2012 the FIa Formula One World Championship was watched by over half a billion unique television viewers in 187 territories, and ran from March to November spanning 20 races in 19 countries across five continents. Formula One World Championship limited is part of the Formula One group, founded by CEO Bernie Ecclestone and holds the exclusive commercial rights to the FIA Formula One World Championship™.

San Francisco, California

INSIDE ROLEX

Historically Rolex has always been extremely secretive and discreet, and no journalists in the past have ever been invited "INSIDE ROLEX" to explore and report on all four Rolex Manufacturing faclities in Switzerland.

In November 2013, this changed when Rolex invited Jake to take an unprecdented journey into the heart of Rolex to learn and report on everything he witnessed and learned.

This Super-Detailed 3 Part Story is a "MUST READ" story for anybody who wants to understand what really makes Rolex tick.

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